Fracking opponents unify campaign, near spending record

LONGMONT -- Opponents of a Longmont anti-fracking ballot question have closed the books on their Longmont Taxpayers for Common Sense identity, shifting their half-million dollar campaign entirely to Main Street Longmont.

A total of $507,500 had been received by the opponents, according to reports filed Wednesday. The two campaigns actually add up to $778,483.40 in contributions on their forms, but that counts $270,983.40 twice: an amount that was refunded by the Longmont Taxpayers group and then re-donated to the Main Street group.

Longmont Taxpayers for Common Sense/Main Street Longmont

Total contributions: $507,500 (excludes $270,983 of re-donated funds)

Total spending: $413,334 (excludes $375,983 of refunded donations)

Our Health, Our Future, Our Longmont

Total contributions: $28,636.85

Total spending: $10,740 (Excludes $900 of refunded donations.)

Leaving out refunds, the double-named campaign has spent $413,334 to oppose Ballot Question 300. If passed, the measure would amend the city charter to ban hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," from Longmont, along with any fracking-related waste disposal. Supporters of 300 say the measure is necessary to protect the health and safety of residents; opponents say the effects have been exaggerated and that the measure would open the door to expensive lawsuits, along with payments to those whose mineral rights might be blocked by a ban.

Opposition to the measure began under the name Longmont Taxpayers for Common Sense. The name was changed in mid-campaign after objections from a national Taxpayers for Common Sense group that acts as a federal budget watchdog.

The Longmont Taxpayers group refunded a total of $375,983,40 to terminate its own campaign. The group had to refund any outstanding contributions before its new identity of Main Street Longmont could use the money.

The opponents reported $56,867 of new spending since last week's report. Specifically, Main Street Longmont spent $62,000 on advertising through the Denver firm of Colorado Media & Mail, but also subtracted $5,143.42 from an earlier estimate for yard signs from the company.

Contributions to defeat the ballot measure have come entirely from groups and businesses related to the oil and gas industry.

The money refunded by Longmont Taxpayers and then re-paid to Main Street Longmont included $50,000 from the American Natural Gas Alliance; $45,000 from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association; $30,000 each from KP Kauffman, Halliburton, Bill Barrett Corp. and Encana; $20,000 each from Bonanza Creek Energy and the Colorado Petroleum Association; $15,000 from DCP Midstream; and $983.40 from Beatty and Wozniak.

Depending on how much is spent in the final days of the campaign, opponents of Ballot Question 300 could still break the Longmont political spending record set in 2011 by opponents of a fiber-optic ballot issue. That year, the Look Before We Leap campaign spent $419,629.69 in an unsuccessful attempt to beat the measure.

Final reports must be filed 30 days after the Nov. 6 election.

The group backing Ballot Question 300, known as Our Health, Our Future, Our Longmont, has received $28,636.85 since the campaign started. That includes $9,691.85 of in-kind contributions, given in services rather than cash.

Since last week's report, Our Longmont has gotten $2,760.85 of contributions. Those donations included $1,800 of itemized cash contributions (all gifts above $50 must be reported) from five Longmont residents, four Boulder residents, three Denver residents, and one person each from Fort Collins, Pagosa Springs, and Bloomington, Ind.

Our Longmont's largest donation of the week came from Stephen Szabo of Longmont ($500), followed by Joscelyn Blumenthal of Pagosa Springs ($250) and Patricia Olson of Boulder ($200).

The week's contributions also include $421.85 of in-kind support from Food and Water Watch of Denver for administration ($378) and mileage ($43.85).

Our Longmont has spent $11,640 on the campaign, according to its filing. However, the group had no new spending this week; the additional $900 since last week's report amended an earlier filing to show refunds to Our Longmont spokesman Michael Bellmont ($500) and supporter Joe Bassman ($400), both of Longmont.

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